2:22 A Ghost Story
Intimate plays with a small cast and a tightly focused storyline can be very compelling. 2:22 A Ghost Story falls squarely into that category with its contemporary supernatural narrative. Written by Danny Robins, of the Uncanny podcast fame, this is a tight 100 minutes tale of the perennial clash between those who believe in the supernatural versus those who maintain a logical and rational perspective. The set in a recently renovated house, the story unfolds in a single room; a modern living room diner. The protagonists become aware of some potential supernatural activity that takes place at 2:22 AM and decide to see for themselves what will or won’t happen. This is a dialogue driven story which covers a lot of ground and sometimes strays into wider social topics. There have been multiple UK productions since the plays London debut in 2021 as well as several notable international performances. I saw 2:22 A Ghost Story at the Churchill Theatre, Bromley on Monday 15th June.
New Mother Jenny (Shvorne Marks) is alone at home with her baby. The house is still in the middle of being renovated and her husband Sam (James Bye) is currently away, working on the island of Sark. At 2:22 AM she here’s footsteps in the baby’s room as they pace round the cot. She also hears someone crying. Several days later her husband returns in time for a dinner party with two guests. Lauren (Natalie Casey) is an old friend of Jenny and Sam’s from university. She is accompanied by her latest boyfriend, Ben (Grant Kilburn), who lives locally in the village that Jenny and Sam have moved to. When Jenny reveals her supernatural experience, Sam being an academic is sceptical. Lauren is curious, while Ben is positively supportive, coming from a family of Christian Spiritualists. The two couples heatedly debate the tropes associated with hauntings and tempers begin to fray as 2:22 approaches. Events escalate raising the stakes and leading to a shocking revelation.
2:22 A Ghost Story initially wrong foots audiences by starting in a very light hearted manner. There is a lot of humorous banter between the main characters but as the story progresses, the dialogue focuses on discussing such matters as the afterlife, the nature of ghosts and why people want to believe. There is some astute social commentary about gentrification and class culture associated with housing. As the play progresses a palpable atmosphere of disquiet grows and it feels like things are heading in a bad direction. The story is regularly punctuated with jump scares, usually at the end of a scene. This initially works well but it does become somewhat repetitive. The main set is well designed and conveys the intended surrounding well, allowing the audience to clearly focus on the four main leads. 2:22 A Ghost Story is effectively streamlined, telling its tale in two 50 minute halves. There are several low key visual effects that work well within the confines of the story.
2:22 A Ghost Story feels like it is a very much of the moment. There has been an interesting resurgence in reports of paranormal activities since lockdown and the success of previous productions of 2:22 A Ghost Story shows there is a lot of interest in the subject. The current tour has a strong cast apart from Natalie Casey’s performance, which is somewhat underwhelming. Overall 2:22 A Ghost Story is a sound play with a supernatural theme. That said, there is more than just a haunted house mystery going on. Much of the plot is musings on the nature of the supernatural, its role in our society and why that is relevant to our lives. The main characters lean more towards archetypes, though this is necessary to explore some of the themes. As for the play’s ending, genre fans may be able to predict it although this doesn’t diminish its effectiveness. For those wanting a thoughtful exploration of the supernatural and a few scares, 2:22 A Ghost Story delivers both.
